In most front wheel drive vehicles, a phenomenon known as "torque steer" is experienced. Torque steer is a vehicle steering effect resulting from the torque developed by a vehicle engine. There are two primary causes of torque steer. First, torque steer results when torque developed by the vehicle engine is transferred unevenly to the vehicle front wheels. Second, uneven progress of the vehicle front wheels in response to the torque developed by the vehicle engine also results in torque steer.
The concept of torque steer is most easily understood by way of example. Assume a driver is travelling in a front wheel drive vehicle on a straight path down a straight road. If this driver suddenly accelerates, i.e., rapidly increases engine revolutions-per-minute ("RPMs"), the vehicle will tend to steer either left or right as a result of the torque steer effect on the vehicle. This situation thus requires the driver to compensate for the torque steer effect so as to maintain his correct path of travel down the road.